A Musical 2015

After last year, I didn’t think that 2015 would improve in terms of musical discoveries and new material but the truth is that it has been an awesome year.

There have been discoveries, rediscoveries and lots of new recordings. I spent a lot of money on music this year and could have spent a lot more.

Rediscoveries

Arena are a British progressive rock band and, thanks to a free CD on a classic rock magazine, I had two songs by the band in my collection. At the start of the year, I decided to check the band out a little more thoroughly. I now have three albums by the band: The Visitor, Immortal and Contagion and I have to say that they are all excellent albums, particularly Contagion which has a superb driving rock song called Witch Hunt, the highlight of three brilliant albums:

Way back in the early 1980’s Gary Numan was one of the most popular pop stars of the time, and has influenced a lot of fellow artists over the years including Nine Inch Nails, one of my favourite bands. In 2015 it came to my attention that he was still active when I caught an interview with him. I discovered that he had released an album in 2013 so I searched for it and had a listen. I was amazed. The album, Splinter (Songs From A Broken Mind) is a triumph, dark, brooding and expresses the feelings of a mind in the deep throes of depression. Here is a brilliant song from the album called Love Hurt Bleed:

Discovery

Thanks to a chance search on Google, I found a collaboration between one of my favourite artists, Steven Wilson and a Polish artist I had never heard of called Mariusz Duda, who is the lead singer and bassist of a Polish progressive rock band called Riverside, who are absolutely magnificent.

I now have their first three albums, Out of Myself, Second Life Syndrome and Rapid Eye Movement all of which form a concept trio called the Reality Dream Trilogy. This band are and will be massive in my collection and I am amazed they are not more widely known in progressive rock circles. Here is a beautiful song called Conceiving You from the best of the three albums, Second Life Syndrome:

Old Favourites with New Material

A lot of old favourites have released new material this year and here are the cream of the crop. First, Joe Satriani, my favourite guitarist, is back with a cracking new album called Shockwave Supernova. Here is a great driving rock song from the album called On Peregrine Wings:

Old favourites Whitesnake also released a new album this year. Rather than writing new material, David Coverdale, the lead singer, went back to his days with Deep Purple and recorded cover versions from his time with the band in an album called The Purple Album. To be honest, I am pleasantly surprised at the result; he has brought them into the 21st century and they are superb. Here is their version of my favourite Deep Purple song with Coverdale at the helm:

Muse also returned with a great new concept album called Drones. The thing I like about Muse albums is that there is always one absolutely driving classic rock song on each album that I can use to drive Mrs PM up the wall with. Drones is no exception and that song is particularly annoying because it contains a lot of swearing. Here is the song, called Psycho – reader discretion is required:

Psycho was very nearly my song of 2015 – but two pipped it to the post.

The band I discovered last year, Nightwish, released a brand new album this year called Endless Forms Most Beautiful, and it is a symphonic metal masterpiece. The band has a new female lead singer called Floor Jansen who has an absolutely amazing voice, able to reach operatic levels and deep growling heavy metal snarls. The last track of the album, The Greatest Show on Earth is a magnificent 24 minute symphonic metal epic, complete with orchestra that would fit snugly into a classical music connoisseur’s collection. If you fancy something new, look it up on YouTube – you won’t be disappointed if you like classical music with a hint of majesty and a generous helping of heavy metal. My second favourite new song of 2015 is called Yours Is An Empty Hope – a down to earth heavy metal opus backed magnificently by orchestral arrangements. Get your air guitars and violins out:

What can top that, I hear you cry. Sadly, for Nightwish, Steven Wilson also released a new album in 2015 called Hand. Cannot. Erase. This guy is a genius and I was lucky enough to see him live earlier this year, performing the album in its entirety. The album tells the deeply sad story, based on fact, of a young woman who was found dead in her flat and despite being popular, nobody missed her for three years.

The album is a triumph and, as the concept suggests, deeply sorrowful and thought-provoking. Perhaps the most poignant song on the entire album is a song about a woman who uses her daily household routine to keep her sane after suffering a real tragedy in her life. When this song was performed live, the beautiful animation you are about to see was played on a screen at the back of the stage and I am sure that there were a few years shed at the end of it. The song is called Routine and is a beautiful, yet deeply tragic song. Prepare to have your heart strings well and truly tugged:

I’m really looking forward to 2016 as it promises to be even better. New albums are due from Steven Wilson and Dream Theater and I have already discovered a new artist that will almost certainly feature heavily on my playlist when I next visit a music shop.

Here’s to a musical 2016 and I wish every single reader a wonderfully Happy New Year.

Rock Music Through The Decades

Rock music is dead.

Or so it is claimed by purveyors of crap music, like Kanye West. It makes me laugh that there are so many people out there convinced that this fact is true. However, the truth is that despite being given vary little airplay, relatively speaking, rock music thrives and is arguably far more popular now than it has ever been.

In fact, rock music has been around for my entire lifetime and show no signs of disappearing.

So with this in mind, I want to follow up the post Pop Music Through The Decades  with a new post focussing on some of my favourite rock songs during my lifetime.

As you can imagine I have a huge number of songs to pick from so I will choose songs by artists you will have heard of, rather than some of the more obscure bands and artists.

I hope you like them – and remember – rock will never die!

1960’s – Led Zeppelin – Dazed and Confused

Many people consider Led Zeppelin to be the founders of heavy metal.

I disagree – I think that honour goes to Black Sabbath. However, for me, Led Zeppelin were the first major rock band and my favourite album is their eponymous first album, released way back in 1969.

The album is clearly a rock album but also blended with blues influences. The song Dazed and Confused is my favourite from the album and starts like a true blues song before accelerating into a magnificent rock opus.

Robert Plant has a magnificent voice and sings the song with such passion that you feel his pain.

1970’s – AC/DC – Let There Be Rock



The best band to come out of Australia are still going strong today, having survived the tragic loss of their lead singer, Bon Scott, when the band was supposedly at its peak in the late 1970’s.

The band recovered almost immediately with Brian Johnson taking over and have gone from strength to strength.

I love this band but my favourite song, Let There Be Rock, encapsulates everything I love about the band. It is Bon Scott’s greatest moment as a singer.

In fact, it is my ringtone - and certainly wakes people up in the office.

“Let there be light – sound – drums – guitar – LET THERE BE ROCK!!!

You can’t put it any more succinctly than that.

1980’s – Whitesnake – Crying in the Rain (1982 version).

You may know Whitesnake as a big hair metal rock band that took America by storm in the late 1980’s with lead singer David Coverdale becoming a massive heartthrob for a generation of American women who fell in love with his music.

However, before then, Whitesnake were reasonably big in the UK but their style of music was more blues oriented. Although I like their American influenced period, I much prefer the period when they made an impact in the UK from the late 1970’s to early 1980’s.

To me that’s when their music was at its peak.

This song is a blues masterpiece, so much so that David Coverdale rerecorded it with his new Americanised version of the band in 1987. Sadly, that version is a shadow of the original from 1982.

Whitesnake are another band that are still going strong, albeit in a slightly different style again. In fact I am going to see them again later this year. They are sharing the bill with Def Leppard which leads me nicely to …

 1990’s – Def Leppard  - Pearl of Euphoria

Def Leppard have survived double tragedy. First, their drummer, Rick Allen, lost his arm in a car crash, something that you may think would have marked the end of his career. Amazingly, he recovered and with the help of a special drum kit, he resumed playing with just one arm. Secondly, the guitarist, Steve Clark, tragically died at the age of only thirty.

You would have thought that such tragedies would have killed the band. It didn’t and they are still going strong.

The band were at their peak in the 1980’s but this particular song from the 1990’s is one of my all time favourites. Another slightly blues influenced song, this is Def Leppard at their very best.

2000’s – Metallica – The Day That Never Comes

Metallica are another band that have been around since the 1980’s and are still going strong today. Their style of music is very fast heavy metal and nothing is better than cranking up the volume when feeling down and losing yourself in a wall of sonic perfection.

This song starts off very peacefully and gradually builds up to a wonderful heavy metal anthem with an amazing guitar driven instrumental crescendo – just the kind of song I like.

2010’s – Deep Purple – Vincent Price

Deep Purple have been around since the 1960’s – almost all of my life in fact – and they are still releasing music. One of the founding fathers of rock and heavy metal, I have loved this band since the 1970’s and throughout the line-up changes they have thrived, despite a hiatus in the late 1970’s early 1980’s.

The line up is very different now but the lead vocalist, Ian Gillan, still has a superb voice, despite being in his late 60’s.

It seems apt that the last and most recent song is by a band that’s been around from the very start again proving that rock will never die.

And Finally...

I hope you liked the songs.

There are plenty more where those came from.

Jon Lord - Rest In Peace

It’s a sign that I am getting older myself because the rock stars that I love are starting to fade. Yesterday I found out that another of my rock heroes had died.

The world has lost Jon Lord, keyboard player extraordinaire, a founding member of Deep Purple who also played with Whitesnake, two of the bands that have accompanied me on the trials and tribulations of my life.

Jon died at the age of 71 having been diagnosed last year with pancreatic cancer.

I have seen Jon perform four times live; three times with Deep Purple and once with Whitesnake and all of the gigs are memorable in their own way.

Although many readers will not have heard of Jon Lord, I want to present ten of my favourite song featuring this keyboard wizard. Jon Lord was capable of turning a Hammond organ into a powerful rock instrument. The songs are chronological order. Please feel free to follow the links and judge for yourselves. Some of the songs are actually quite beautiful - though some are quite heavy.

Deep Purple – Child In Time

Ian Gillan’s vocals on this song are incredible, as is the sparring between Ritchie Blackmore on guitar and Jon on keyboards. From the album Deep Purple In Rock, released in 1970, but some eight years later I was discovering it for the first time. It also drove my dad to say “if this is the future of music then God help us.

Deep Purple – Highway Star 

Highway Star is probably my favourite track by Deep Purple. When I first heard this song I was a rebellious teenager and it was one of the songs that helped clear my head of those unruly thoughts, although my parents probably didn’t think so when I played it full blast at home. The song is from 1972 but I was irritating my parents with it in 1978.

Deep Purple – Woman From Tokyo

Woman From Tokyo isn’t a particularly heavy song but I really like it, particularly the mellow section in the middle. From the album Who Do We Think We Are.

Deep Purple – Burn 

Before Deep Purple’s self-destruction in the mid 1970’s Ian Gillan was replaced by David Coverdale who eventually formed Whitesnake, and Roger Glover made way for Glenn Hughes. Of course, by the time I discovered Deep Purple all of this had happened and Whitesnake existed in their own right. Sadly, the loss of Gillan was the beginning of the end for Deep Purple (at least until they rose again from the ashes in the mid-1980’s). Burn is the best Deep Purple song featuring David Coverdale.

Whitesnake – Take Me With You

  

Before Whitesnake became a huge big haired rock band in the mid 1980’s, they were a kind of blues rock band and the music from their early albums is my favourite by the band.  Jon Lord was a member of the band for six years and played keyboards on what, in my opinion, are their best albums. Take Me With You is from Whitesnake’s first album, Trouble.

Whitesnake – Blindman 

Blindman is one of my favourite songs. It is a beautiful mellow bluesy song and Jon Lord’s keyboard playing adds to the emotion of the song. It is from the album Ready An’ Willing released in 1980.

Whitesnake – Don’t Break My Heart Again

At the time this song was released, a lot of girls were breaking my heart again and again. It was a frustrating existence for me.  The song, from the album Come An’ Get It  was one of Whitesnake’s first chart songs and reminds me of getting ready to go out on a Saturday night all dressed up to attract women and failing spectacularly. I should perhaps have sung it to the girls I met.

Whitesnake – Crying In The Rain

Saints & Sinners is the last really good Whitesnake album before they finally cracked America. The band line up was in flux with band members leaving, though Jon Lord did stay for one more album after this. Crying In The Rain is a great bluesy track that was unfortunately rerecorded on the album 1987 when Whitesnake became huge. The version on Saints & Sinners, featuring Jon Lord is the best in my humble opinion.   

Deep Purple – Perfect Strangers 

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Deep Purple reformed in the mid 1980’s with their classic Mark II line up including Ian Gillan and Roger Glover.  They produced a wonderful album called Perfect Strangers. This is the title track of that album. The song reminds me of when I moved to Manchester where initially every person I met was a perfect stranger.

Deep Purple – Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming 

Deep Purple were still going strong in the mid 1990’s despite the departure of Ritchie Blackmore. Steve Morse filled the gap perfectly adequately on the album Purpendicular. This is one of my favourite songs because at that time of my life I really did feel like screaming and this song gave me a little bit of solace.

Rest in peace, Jon - we will miss you. Thanks for some fantastic music.

Great Gigs

Mrs PM paid £120 to see Madonna at the Manchester Evening News Arena last week. Last night I paid £30 to see Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction at the same venue.

Why the difference in price?

Well you could argue that Madonna is, arguably, the greatest pop star in the world and has been for decades, especially after the recent death of Michael Jackson (did you know he’d died by the way? I think I saw something on the news).

I used to have a major crush on Madonna, though her music certainly didn’t float my boat. Mrs PM asked me if I wanted to see her and I would have gone had the ticket price been around £40, just to say that I had seen her. The £120 price tag put paid to that.

Mrs PM enjoyed the show but, because Madge danced around a lot, her voice suffered apparently. I don’t think Mrs PM would see her again, certainly not at that price.

As we talked about the show, I began thinking about all of the concerts I have been to over the years. I have lost count to be honest and I wonder exactly how much I have spent. I’ve decided to share some of the best with you. I have seen some amazing acts, not necessarily because of the music but the experience as well. Below are some of the greatest gigs and live performances I have seen (in no particular order):

Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band – Bramhall Lane Sheffield (Sheffield United FC), 1988

Although I wasn’t a huge fan of “The Boss”, I thought that seeing him perform would be quite a good experience. I knew quite a lot of his songs, as I had a mate back in Walsall who was a huge fan. The album “Tunnel Of Love” had just been released and Bruce Springsteen was riding on a wave of popularity following “Born In The USA”. To be honest, I was just curious and my expectations were fairly low.

How wrong I was. Bruce Springsteen was magnificent. The first three songs he sang blew me away, the best being “She’s The One”, one of my favourite songs by the man. He was on stage for well over three hours (in two separate stints) and when the concert ended I wanted to stay for more.

Highlight: “She’s The One”

Alice Cooper – Manchester Apollo, 2000

I went to see Alice Cooper for the show rather than the music. I was only familiar with “Poison” and “School’s Out” and I had heard the title track of his current album “Brutal Planet”, which was enough to justify seeing him. The Apollo is a snug place and we had great seats at the front in the stalls with a perfect view of the stage.

And what a show it was. Alice Cooper is brutal and his show tells a story. By his own admission, the stage persona is a horrible person, who commits atrocities as he sings. Ultimately, he ends up in a strait jacket half way through the show and is punished by being brutally slain (in this case he was beheaded), before returning to life with “Feed My Frankenstein”. The great thing about this show was that I was introduced to classic Alice Cooper songs such as “Elected”, a song I had never heard before, but absolutely love.

Highlight: “Elected”

Def Leppard – Birmingham National Exhibition Centre, 1992

Def Leppard were the biggest rock band on the planet when I saw them in 1992. Unlike normal gigs, Def Leppard built the stage in the middle of the arena with the crowd all the way around, so absolutely everybody got a fantastic view of the band as they belted out all of their very best songs, up to and including the “Adrenalize” album.

During “Rocket”, the drum kit rose really high into the air, making me feel a little worried for Rick Allen. The encore was fantastic; Jo Elliott running around the immense stage whipping up the crowd to sing along to the extraordinary “Rock Of Ages”. This was Def Leppard at their absolute peak.

Highlight: “Rock Of Ages”

Queen – Knebworth, 1986

This is still, to date, the biggest gig I have ever been to. Supporting Queen were Big Country and Status Quo and they warmed the place up nicely. However, when Queen took the stage, it was as if we had been transported to a different place ruled by Freddie Mercury.

He was outrageous and absolutely mesmerising. The rest of the band played their part of course but Freddie was the leader; every one of us was in thrall and I have never seen such a great front man. We were quite a distance from the stage and had to rely on screens to see the band properly, which was a bit of a pain, but I enjoyed to concert nonetheless. I’m glad I can say that I saw Freddie Mercury before his sad death a few years later.

Highlight: “Radio Ga Ga” – 120,000 people clapping their hands in unison.

Foo Fighters – Manchester Evening News Arena, 2007

David Grohl is a legend and I leapt at the chance to see the Foo Fighters even though the ticket price exceeded my upper limit.

Our seats were quite far from the stage but that didn’t matter too much as they did an acoustic set almost directly in front of at the half way point. I’m sure he looked at us when he said “I haven’t played a song for you guys yet” before playing “But Honestly”.

I’ve seen the Foos three times in total, the other two times were in sports grounds in front of huge crowds. However, paradoxically, the Manchester Evening News Arena, a huge venue in its won right, the show seemed much more intimate, and therefore the best of them.

Highlight: “But Honestly”

Aerosmith – Monsters Of Rock, Castle Donnington, 1990

The Monsters Of Rock festival in 1990 was headlined by one of my favourite bands, Whitesnake, with Aerosmith in support. I had discovered Aerosmith in the late eighties with the release of “Permanent Vacation” and had become a big fan. That year, I drove my ex-wife up the wall with “Love In An Elevator” – she hated it.

After Thunder, the Quireboys and Poison, we decided to get a little closer to the stage, just as Aerosmith appeared. They blitzed through their set so magnificently that I barely had time to catch my breath. They pumped out song after song with consummate ease; Steve Tyler had the audience in the palm of his hand.

Whitesnake were, to be honest, a disappointment after Aerosmith. The difference was that Whitesnake seemed to be a bunch of egotistical individuals but Aerosmith were a team. It was a real shame that Aerosmith weren’t the headline act.

Highlight: “Rag Doll”

Metallica – Manchester Evening News Arena, 2009

I was never into Metallica in the 80’s but in recent years the band has grown on me immensely. Last year, I bought “Death Magnetic” and I have to admit it is one of the best albums I own. With a little bit of apprehension, I allowed a mate to persuade me to see the band. I feared that they would be a little too thrashy for me. I was so wrong.

Like Def Leppard, the stage was in the centre of the arena so we had a fantastic view of the band. The laser show that kicked off the gig (to “That Was Just Your Life”) was breath-taking (see the picture above). The music was polished, professional and perfect, something I didn’t expect at all.

I will have no hesitation seeing them again on their next tour.

Highlight: “The Day That Never Comes”

Whitesnake – Liverpool Royal Court, 1984

I am a huge fan of early Whitesnake, particularly the early 80’s material. In 1984, a couple of years before Whitesnake became absolutely huge. I saw the band at the Royal Court in Liverpool, a relatively intimate venue for a band like this. The line up was the classic one, featuring Jon Lord (from Deep Purple), Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden. However, what made this special was the presence of Cozy Powell on the drums.

This was the first time I saw the band and it was the best by far. David Coverdale was immense on stage and his voice was perfect. Halfway through the gig, Cozy Powell was allowed ten minutes or so to turn the stage into a crazy zone. He performed an outstanding drum solo to my favourite piece of classical music, “Mars, The Bringer Of War” from The Planet Suite by Gustav Holst, complete with an amazing light show.

This really was Whitesnake at their very best.

Highlight: Cozy Powell’s drum solo

Rammstein – Manchester Evening News Arena, 2005

You haven’t lived until you’ve seen this crazy bunch of Germans live. Complete with flame throwers and a cooking pot (don’t ask) they produced one of the most mesmerising, strange yet enjoyable shows I have ever seen.

The music was superb and the heavy industrial rock music whipped the crowd into an absolute frenzy. Almost everybody in the English speaking audience was singing along with the German lyrics, including myself.

If you like pyrotechnics, flames and fun you will not be disappointed seeing this controversial band.

Highlight: “Feuer Frei” complete with flame throwers.

Rush – Manchester evening News Arena, 2004

Rush can do no wrong in my eyes; they are quite simply the greatest band on the planet. I have seen them four times (not nearly enough) but the best one was their 30th Anniversary Tour where they played most if not all of their greatest songs from their hugely successful career.

With eighteen albums behind them, they had a colossal number of songs to choose from, and I believe they got their set absolutely spot on. There were so many songs that they were on stage for well over three hours, including a short break.

The concert was clinical, spectacular and perfect. Long may they reign and, please guys, come back to Manchester again.

Highlight: “La Villa Strangiato”

Sometimes I think I’m getting a little too old for concerts, particularly since my music of choice is generally loud and heavy. Yet when I think back on the concerts above and the great music that these and other bands are producing, I reconsider and say, so what? You are as old as you feel, and these guys make me feel young.

100 Rock Songs (31 to 40)

The next bunch – again roughly chronological …

(31) Thin Lizzy – Thunder And Lightning

“Thunder And Lightning” was the last album by Thin Lizzy and arguably the best. It is certainly my favourite and heavier than a lot of their previous offerings. The title track is a great example of this. Subtle it is not. Fantastic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHmu9k6WWcg

(32) Yes – Owner Of A Lonely Heart

Fans of Yes are not generally fans of “Owner Of A Lonely Heart”. From a personal point of view, though, I think the song is wonderful. Okay it is a little commercial and more of a pop song than a rock song to be fair. Despite this, I think it works and Yes fans who moan should take the song on its own merits. Classy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELpmmeT69cE

(33) Deep Purple – Perfect Strangers

Deep Purple reformed in 1984 with the greatest line up, the Mark IV version, with Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Ian Paice and of course Jon Lord. “Perfect Strangers” the album was the result and the title track was released as the first single. And what a song it is. I’ve seen the band a couple of times and one of the highlights is the performance of this deep and moody number complete with lasers. Excellent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwoTaisFMIE

(34) Whitesnake – Slow And Easy

“Slow And Easy” is a bluesy masterpiece from Whitesnake, just before David Coverdale ditched this line up and set sail for superstardom in America. A real foot stomping song and shows Whitesnake at their very best. Unbeatable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW4LQN1Bx1Q

(35) Faith No More – We Care A Lot

“We Care A Lot” is a great song by Faith No More with a superb bass line and great lyrics. To be honesty I prefer the band when Mike Patton was singing (he’s not present on this song) and have been fortunate to see him actually perform it. Top tune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDwiTxXzFsA

(36) Megadeth – Peace Sells

I must admit that I didn’t really like Megadeth in the 1980’s. They were just a little too heavy for me. However, when I played “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” the song cropped up on the radio and it grew on me immensely, so much in fact that after several plays I was hooked. I rate it as one of the finest truly heavy metal songs from that decade. Heavy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DWoJBHibhM

(37) Rush – Turn The Page

“Hold Your Fire” is a classic Rush album full of fabulous songs. Every song is a classic in my view and “Turn The Page” is the best of them. Turn the volume up full and ascend into prog rock heaven. Songs like this prove that Rush are the greatest band on the planet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E0m0Gcblp0

(38) Whitesnake – Still Of The Night

David Coverdale morphed the Whitesnake I loved into a big-haired American rock band in 1987 and stripped away the blues to produce an album full of appeal to young college students. I was sad when I first heard the album “1987”. However, one track stood out a mile. “Still Of The Night” is a masterpiece and I take my hat off to David Coverdale for giving the world this fabulous track amongst AOR banality. What’s more, the accompanying video features Tawny Kitaen – say no more! Brilliant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqb5EcU65IQ

(39) Aerosmith – Rag Doll

Aerosmith are massive and have produced some great music over the decades. My favourite album is the first one I bought; “Permanent Vacation” from the late eighties. I bought it on the strength of two songs, one of which is featured in this list. “Rag Doll” is a superb feelgood song. Aerosmith are also one of the best bands I have seen live. Amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIAYxFApsEM

(40) Gary Moore – Over The Hills And Far Away

Gary Moore now sings the blues and while it is admirable that he has gone back to his roots and the music he loves, it is such a shame that he has left behind the pure belting rock music he performed in the eighties. “Over The Hills And Far Away” is a classic Celtic rock anthem, with pounding drums and violins. Unbeatable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyJEytBlp1I

41 to 50 to follow …

100 Rock Songs (21 to 30)

Again no specific order apart from chronologically …

(21) Nazareth – No Mean City

The album “No Mean City” is one of my all time favourite albums and the title track is the best song on it. The song is a masterpiece and Dan McCafferty’s voice is at its very best. The album cover is superbly menacing (as you can see from the link below) and the song reflects the atmosphere conjured by the image. Mean and moody!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBeeDZT8RKk

(22) Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb

“Comfortably Numb” is easily the best song from the epic concept album “The Wall”. The song is beautiful and disturbing at the same time and once more Dave Gilmour’s guitar playing is exemplary. Beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qt6b8B5Bd4

(23) Judas Priest - Steeler

Judas Priest perform pure British heavy metal at its very best. The album “British Steel” was ground-breaking and “Steeler” is the last and best song from that wonderful record. Rob Halford has a unique voice perfectly crafted to sing heavy metal anthems. You’ll need that air guitar again. Metal!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVSypb9caqI

(24) Thin Lizzy – Killer On The Loose

I miss Phil Lynott. Thin Lizzy were a superb band who wrote chart friendly rock music and were wildly popular in the 1970’s. “Killer On The Loose” is a sinister head banger that is darker than their usual offerings. Menacing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFrdSVUcDgs

(25) Rush – Red Barchetta

1981 was a formidable year for me musically because I discovered the best band on the planet. I am talking of course about the Canadian power trio, Rush. They are by far my favourite band and I can listen to their music all day long. “Red Barchetta” is from the album “Moving Pictures” and is one of my favourite tracks of all time. Listen to the song and you will feel a deep euphoria. Awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djVGhqvl_8A

(26) Whitesnake – Don’t Break My Heart Again

David Coverdale conquered America with Whitesnake in 1987 and many of those fans are unaware that before then, Whitesnake were a bluesy rock band. I prefer the band from that period, with Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody and of course the legendary Deep Purple keyboard player, Jon Lord. For the album “Come An’ Get It” Deep Purple’s Ian Paice was also in the band. “Don’t Break My Heart Again” is my favourite song by the band. Bluesy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEpQYIPdXGU

(27) Gillan – Bite The Bullet

The best Gillan album is “Future Shock” and the best song on that album is “Bite The Bullet”. It is another blistering fist pounder from Ian Gillan, ably supported by the thumping brilliance of Mick Underwood on the drums. The song reaches an amazing crescendo and once more leaves you shell shocked. It’s a shame it isn’t widely available but believe me, if you get the chance to listen to “Future Shock” you will love this song. Unbelievable.

(28) Iron Maiden – Run To The Hills

When Bruce Dickinson joined Iron Maiden, the improvement was there for all to see. The band have never looked back, with album after brilliant album. However, my favourite song by the band came from that first album with Bruce Dickinson way back in 1981. “Run To The Hills” is from the album “The Number Of The Beast” and is classic heavy metal at its most excellent. Get that air guitar ready again. Screamer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5Snehl2bAk

(29) Jim Steinman – Stark Raving Love

Jim Steinman is the man behind the success of Meat Loaf and his “Bat Out Of Hell” trilogy of albums. In 1981, however, Jim Steinman released his own album called “Bad For Good” which I actually prefer to the massive “Bat Out Of Hell”. I don’t think that Steinman has the greatest voice, yet the songs more than make up for this. “Stark Raving Love” is a magnificent Steinman grand musical opus which Steinman himself sampled for Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For A Hero”. The original is the best and contains magnificent guitar work as the song reaches a superb crescendo. Again, it’s a shame its not widely available but the song is brilliant. Epic.

(30) Rush – The Analog Kid

The first Rush album I bought was “Signals” and I was lucky enough to see them for the first time in 1982 when they toured with the album. I couldn’t get enough of the band and it wasn’t long before their previous albums were also in my collection. “The Analog Kid” is a great little song that is typical of the band. Terrific.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR1PzhLy4HM

31 to 40 to follow …